CASTRATION. 559 



proving more manageable without such painful expedient. 

 In other cases, bhnds prove excellent means of intimidation, 

 and of the greatest service. Having led or pushed him to 

 the place upon which we intend to cast him, providing we 

 can manage to fasten hobbles^ around his legs, he may be 

 thrown and secured in the ordinary manner, care being 

 taken that he falls, or is afterwards turned, upon his off 

 side ; which being done, the near hind leg is to be drawn 

 up, either with a broad web or a hobble and side-line, 

 against the shoulder, and as close to it as possible, and con- 

 fined in that extended position by passing the web or rope, 

 coming from it, around the neck, and from thence, a second 

 time, by means of a half-hitch, around the heel, or else 

 through the ring of the hobble : the remainder of the web 

 or rope being made fast by a knot, or, what is better (when 

 people are at hand), firmly held tight by one or two men. One 

 man will be sufficient to maintain the extension of the other 

 three legs : making the hobble-rope fast to any place, 

 though often done where assistance is scarce, is not un- 

 attended with danger. In every case, a man will be 

 required to take charge of the head, in order, the moment 

 the colt falls, to cushion his knee forcibly in the hollow 

 behind the ear, upon the side of the neck, in such manner as to 

 be able to keep the head pressed down, while, with his hands, 

 by protruding the muzzle, he prevents the animal from incur- 

 vating his neck, and getting his nose towards his chest, and 

 thereby flexing neck and materially adding to his power of 

 resistance. It may so happen that hobbles are not provided, 

 or that the colt turns out so wild and unruly that they cannot 

 be put on : in such a case as this what is to be done ? A rope 

 about thirty yards in length and two or three inches in 

 diameter, will serve as an excellent substitute : a cart-rope 

 will answer, and one can generally be obtained. Let this 

 be equally doubled, and formed at the folded end, by a 

 knot, into a loop sufficiently large to admit the head and 

 neck, and hang upon the shoulders, the same as a harness- 



* See the account of " Hobbles " of different kinds, in the first volume of 

 ' Hippopathology.' 



